Lopez Knocks Off Safin at Wimbledon (AP)AP - Marat Safin's newfound confidence on grass faded fast Friday. The big Russian came up short in his bid for a second Grand Slam title this year, losing to Spain's Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-3 in the third round at Wimbledon.

Redskins' Taylor Charged With Assault (AP)AP - Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor would face a minimum prison sentence of three years if convicted on charges of pointing a gun during a dispute about an all-terrain vehicle.

Lemieux: Players Should Have Taken Offer (AP)AP - Pittsburgh Penguins owner-player Mario Lemieux said NHL players are all but certain to get a much worse economic deal in the soon-to-be-approved labor agreement than they would have gotten by accepting the owners' offer four months ago.

Titans' Hentrich has appendix removed (AP)Tennessee Titans punter Craig Hentrich had emergency surgery to remove his appendix, which ruptured slightly, coach Jeff Fisher said Thursday. Hentrich became ill and had his appendix removed late Wednesday afternoon. Fisher said Hentrich will remain in the hospital for another day or two as doctors monitor the punter to ensure that no infections develop as a result of the rupture.

Dolphins S Quintin Williams arrested (AP)Miami Dolphins safety Quintin Williams was arrested on DUI and drag racing charges Thursday after he was stopped while driving 111 mph on an interstate with teammate and passenger Travares Tillman. Williams was near the team's practice facility in Davie, Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Bill Ferrell said. Troopers also pulled over a car that had been racing Williams.

Lions add DB McQuarters (AP)The Detroit Lions have signed former Chicago Bears defensive back R.W. McQuarters to a one-year contract. The Bears released McQuarters, 28, on May 23. The Lions announced the signing Wednesday but withheld other terms of the deal, reached earlier this month. In five seasons in Chicago, McQuarters had 295 tackles and nine interceptions.

Redskins sign CB Atrell Hawkins (AP)The Washington Redskins signed cornerback Artrell Hawkins on Thursday, giving the team another potential nickel back. Hawkins was cut by the Carolina Panthers in March to save money under the salary cap. He failed to challenge seriously for a starting spot in his only year with the Panthers, losing out to first-round draft pick Chris Gamble after hurting his knee in training camp.

Niners ink WR Morton to two-year deal (AP)Receiver Johnnie Morton agreed to a two-year contract Tuesday with the San Francisco 49ers, who finally added a veteran wideout to one of the NFL's least impressive receiving corps. Morton, an 11-year pro, spent the last three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, who released him June 2 after Morton refused to take a cut in his $3 million salary.

WR Hakim signs with Saints (AP)Free agent wide receiver Az-Zahir Hakim signed with the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday, a week after an agreement with the Kansas City Chiefs fell through. Hakim, released by the Detroit Lions, signed a one-year deal with New Orleans. ``He is an established player who has shown he can be an important part of an offense throughout his career,'' Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said Tuesday.

Browns sign veteran QB Doug Johnson (AP)Needing a veteran quarterback as protection for Trent Dilfer, the Cleveland Browns signed former Atlanta backup Doug Johnson to a one-year contract Monday. Johnson spent last season with Tennessee. He signed with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2000 and made 11 starts in four seasons before being released and signed by Jacksonville.

Spurs win third NBA title in seven years (AP)While the San Antonio Spurs drenched their newest golden championship trophy in champagne, sweat and tears, the MVP award was safe and dry. Tim Duncan stashed that prize atop a tall refrigerator in the back corner of the Spurs' locker room. He wanted both hands free to party -- a bottle in one, a video camera in the other.

Brown has no regrets if done coaching (AP)Larry Brown tried to treat what could have been his last postgame news conference as if he had just finished any ordinary game from his 33-year coaching career. ``Come on, let's talk about the game,'' Detroit's coach pleaded Thursday night after San Antonio dethroned the Pistons 81-74 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Popovich legacy grows with third title (AP)Gregg Popovich is a self-deprecating wine connoisseur who hours before the biggest game of his career compared it to a Division III game he coached at Pomona-Pitzer. He is also a three-time NBA champion. As much the heart and soul of the San Antonio Spurs as Tim Duncan, Popovich bolstered his reputation as one of the best coaches of his generation -- perhaps of any generation -- by guiding them...

Billups falters for Pistons in Game 7 (AP)Chauncey Billups went from being an MVP candidate to one of the reasons the Detroit Pistons failed to defend their title. Billups was held to 13 points on 3-of-8 shooting, and the Pistons lost 81-74 to the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. He entered the game averaging a series-high 21.7 points, then struggled so much that he didn't make his second field goal until...

Ginobili an Olympic and NBA champion (AP)In his hands, Manu Ginobili held the NBA championship trophy. On his legs, he wore the shorts of Argentina's national team, representing the gold medal he won last summer. All that was missing was the MVP award many of his fans thought he deserved. While a good case could be made for Ginobili being named the best player of the NBA Finals, he'll gladly settle for being part of the best team.

Spurs' title a nice reward for veterans (AP)Tony Massenburg has played for 12 teams in 13 seasons. Glenn Robinson is a former No. 1 pick who was unemployed most of this season. No wonder, then, that they had two of the biggest smiles in the San Antonio locker room after the Spurs won Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night. ``This is all worth it,'' said Massenburg, who played just 28 minutes the entire postseason.

Bucks fire coach Terry Porter (AP)Terry Porter won't get a chance to use the first pick in next week's NBA draft. Porter was fired as coach of the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, two months after the team finished its worst season in almost a decade. General manager Larry Harris said the move was necessary after the Bucks were 30-52 in 2004-05.

Pistons fan pleads guilty to coin throw (AP)A Pistons fan pleaded guilty to throwing a quarter that hit Allen Iverson during a Detroit-Philadelphia playoff game in April. Dennis Pauley, 31, of the Detroit suburb of Taylor, faces up to three months in jail and a $500 fine when sentenced Sept. 1 for the city ordinance violation. He pleaded guilty Wednesday to throwing an object onto a playing surface, the court said Thursday.

Mavs C Bradley likely to retire (AP)The Dallas Mavericks are negotiating to buy out the contract of center Shawn Bradley, a precursor to his likely retirement after 12 seasons. Mavs owner Mark Cuban said Thursday that Bradley started the discussions ``because of injury concerns,'' primarily his knee and hip. A seldom-used reserve anyway, Bradley has averaged less than 12 minutes per game each of the last two seasons.

Lemieux: NHL players should have taken owners' offer in February (AP)Pittsburgh Penguins owner-player Mario Lemieux said NHL players are all but certain to get a much worse economic deal in the soon-to-be-approved labor agreement than they would have gotten by accepting the owners' offer four months ago. ``They should have taken the deal back in February,'' Lemieux said Thursday, referring to the last-gasp negotiations that took place just before the 2004-05 season...

Blues re-sign head coach Kitchen (AP)The St. Louis Blues re-signed head coach Mike Kitchen through the 2005-06 season on Wednesday. Kitchen took over after Joel Quenneville was fired with 21 games remaining in the 2003-04 season. The 10-7-4 finish was good enough to earn a playoff spot in the season's final week. Terms of the deal were not released.

Blackhawks hire new GM, who fires old coach (AP)The Chicago Blackhawks hired Dale Tallon as their new general manager Tuesday, and he wasted no time firing coach Brian Sutter. ``I've thought about this long and hard for the last six weeks,'' Tallon said. ``This is not about the past, it's about the future. ``I want to start with a fresh sheet of ice, a clean slate, and move forward into the future.'' Under Sutter, the Blackhawks were 91-118-37 in...

Jagr says players' fight against salary cap was ``risk that didn't pay off'' (AP)New York Rangers forward Jaromir Jagr said Tuesday that players' initial refusal of a salary cap in talks with the NHL was a gamble that did not work out. ``We started the fight because we didn't agree with the introduction of salary caps,'' Jagr said. ``Now, we'll be happy to get them. We didn't expect the owners to be so tough and persistent.

Mighty Ducks introduce new owners, GM Brian Burke (AP)Henry and Susan Samueli officially assumed ownership of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks on Monday, and announced the selection of a new management team headed by executive vice president and general manager Brian Burke. ``This is the beginning of a new era,'' Samueli said at an Anaheim Arena news conference.